WATCH LIVE at 3 p.m.: Rally held in Ocala to express ‘righteous outrage’ over death of Ajike ‘AJ’ Owens

OCALA, Fla. – “All roads lead to Ocala,” say organizers of a rally organized Saturday to unite Central Florida communities around the death of Ajike “AJ” Owens, a Marion County mother of four who was fatally shot through her neighbor’s door last month.

The “National Day of Righteous Outrage for AJ Owens” is set for 3 p.m. inside Ocala’s Kingdom Revival Church on E Silver Springs Boulevard, according to a news release.

Owens was shot on June 2 after walking with her son to the front door of her neighbor, 58-year-old Susan Lorincz, to confront her after she allegedly took an iPad from one of Owens’ children and threw roller skates at them.

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The shooting was allegedly the culmination of a neighborhood feud, with Marion County deputies having been called to the area a dozen times before it happened.

Lorincz was arrested days later, on June 6, with Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods stating ahead of time that authorities were under pressure to charge Lorincz and needed to confer with the State Attorney’s Office on her self-defense claims, as the 58-year-old told deputies that Owens was trying to break her door down.

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At the news conference held to announce Lorincz’s arrest, Woods said that the case was “simply a killing.” Further statements from the sheriff’s office cited eyewitness accounts and other investigative findings to establish Lorincz’s actions were not justifiable under Florida law.

The month since has seen Lorincz formally charged with manslaughter and assault, the decision of William Gladson, state attorney for the Fifth Judicial Circuit of Florida. This, in lieu of murder charges, drew ire from Owens’ family and their attorneys.

“How do I explain to AJ’s children, my young grandbabies, that the loss of their mother’s life is still not being taken seriously? Only a living breathing AJ would be true justice, and today’s charge could not be further from that,” said Pamela Dias, Owens’ mother, in a statement.

Saturday’s speakers will include Dias, clergy leaders and Owens’ friends Tarlisa Brown, Kim Robinson-Jones and Velecia Woodyard. Local, state and national organizers are also set to make speeches, such as Tamika Mallory with Until Freedom; Melanie Campbell with the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation; Attorney Barbara Arnwire from Equal Justice Under the Law; Marcus Arbery, the father of Ahmad Arbery; representatives of the Marion County Dem Women’s Club and others.

ClickOrlando.com will stream the event live at the top of this story when it begins.

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